TPT January 2021

T E CHNOLOG Y

Cutting-edge Mazak technology for the laser market

THE market for laser cutting technology is experiencing significant growth and fiber lasers are quickly becoming the technology of choice. Gaetano Lo Guzzo, director, laser business Europe at Yamazaki Mazak, has explored the rising popularity of fiber technology and profiled one of the latest solutions. The rapid development of laser tech- nology and increasing power of the available solutions has opened up exciting avenues for companies looking to invest in laser processing equipment. Specifically, the growing market share of fiber lasers has greatly informed how machine suppliers such as Yamazaki Mazak has developed its product offering. While this is a young technology, its continued advancement means these systems can now be used for an ever- expanding number of applications. For example, the continued transition of the automotive market toward hybrid and electric cars may result in increased uptake of fiber laser cutting solutions. It is for these reasons that fiber laser sales have risen dramatically, to the extent that they now constitute more than 70 per cent of Mazak’s own laser sales. Laser manufacturers have responded by developing machines with increased power, speed and feed rates, which in turn benefit the end-user by improving cycle times while improving productivity and profitability. Increasing speeds and shortening cycle times also necessitates further innovation, and automation is a key target area. With high-power fiber laser and direct diode lasers (DDL), cycle

times are short and machine speeds are rapid. As a result, manual loading and unloading is often unable to cope with the processing speed of these machines.

The technology can now be used for an ever-expanding number of applications

Furthermore, the fiber laser, together with high-speed feed rates, high-speed acceleration and fast chuck-indexing, delivers exceptional cutting speeds. This adaptability and productivity mean the machine is perfectly placed for applications across the architectural, automotive, construction and furniture industries, which are increasingly turning to fiber laser solutions. With continuous operation over extended periods a key priority across numerous sectors, the FT-150 was developed to include a large capacity bundle loader that can automatically load raw materials weighing up to four tonnes. Companies looking to further integrate automation into their operations can also use the machine either with standard solutions or in conjunction with automatic sorting systems for work piece unloading. The sorting system’s ability to sort small, medium and large finished parts into four different areas, either via an optional conveyor belt or into parts buckets, allows for efficient production of large-lot and multiple part models. The fact manual handling can be reduced as much as possible therefore enable companies to re-deploy skilled workers in areas of the company where they can be more productive, leading to further efficiencies. In conclusion, the growth of the fiber laser market demonstrates that is an expanding number of volume manufac- turers across multiple industries that are looking to make a step-change in their processing abilities. Through the provision of innovative, automation-friendly laser solutions such as the FT-150, it is possible for laser machine manufacturers to help deliver exceptional productivity benefits while ensuring highly accurate work.

Additionally, the demand for lights- out processing will only continue to increase. If the productive day for a machine can be increased from eight to 12 hours up to 24 hours, extra capacity can be generated in the machine shop, resulting in greater productivity. It is with this in mind that Mazak has launched the FT-150 FIBER to further enhance the company’s laser cutting solution offering. Specifically designed for the high-speed, high-accuracy large-lot cutting of small to medium diameter tube, the new FT-150 FIBER is a compact laser processing machine that benefits from an ergonomic design. The operator area, loading station and unloading station are located on the same side of the machine, which is equipped with a 3kW fiber resonator. The FT-150 FIBER can process single work pieces up to 6,500mm in length and 150kg in weight, with a maximum tube diameter of 152.4mm, in a wide variety of materials, including mild steel, stainless steel, copper, brass and aluminium. Processes it can perform include cutting, tapping, drilling and thermal trilling, with in-process time reduced due to punch pressing, deburring and hole tapping not being required.

Yamazaki Mazak UK Limited www.mazakeu.co.uk

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JANUARY 2021